Getwin is sick of working so much. As her mother’s assistant in their bookbinding business, Getwin is a skilled binder in her own right, stitching pages together into beautiful bound books. They often work into the early hours of the morning, tasked with almost impossible timeframes to achieve their best work.

This job is also completed in time for a demanding client. Not that there is any choice in the matter. They live in a world where books are only to be read by Scholars. If anyone knew that both Getwin and her mother could read, they would be in terrible trouble. It’s only when a strange girl named Lea arrives in her life that Getwin begins to understand how much trouble is out there waiting for her.

Getwin’s mother is called away to a wealthy and powerful home, regarding work within their library. When she doesn’t return, Getwin knows something is wrong and she sets out to find her, leaving her best friend Buckle to look after the bookbindery.

Along with Lea, they set out for a town where someone can help find her mother. Lea has had her own story of escape to tell. She is a Scribe. These are children forced to write all day with quills and ink, transcribing books. Their hands become blistered and infected and still they write on, with an evil taskmaster leering over their shoulders. Lea has powerful books in her possession – against every law of the land. But these books save them time and time again.

Getwin and Lea learn about and meet others who have rebelled against this system of power, neglect and heartlessness. They learn of magic, and discover people with incredible powers that can help them, and with the help of books, enter new worlds alongside their own. But Lea’s cruel master is searching for her, Getwin’s friend is in trouble, and they still haven’t found her mother. Are they too late?

A book about the power, wonder and magical qualities of books, but all is not sunshine and rainbows in this novel. In fact, very few are permitted to own or even read books. Young people are exploited in the making of them, and anyone deemed different is spurned and controlled if an even worse fate doesn’t befall them first.

Getwin is a character to cheer for, and the villains of this novel are particularly nasty and easy to hate. I loved the connection of magic and books, and the way characters travel through them, just like we all do when we pick up a book.

The language is lyrical and often sophisticated, and readers from aged 10-14 are its target audience. I often reread sentences as they were beautifully crafted, yet not complicated.

The viewpoint is 3rd person omniscient, portraying thoughts and feelings of characters in the scene. This was never confusing however. The setting of medieval times is clear and equally fantastical with helpful trees, pictures appearing on skin and hungry lions from beneath skirts.

A book not to be rushed, but savoured and maybe, even reading all over again.

Author – Claire Mabey

Age – 10+

(2024, Allen & Unwin, Fantasy, Friendship, Magic, Strangers, Books, Power, Evil, Family, Quest, Journey, Danger, Raven, Bird, Mystery, NZ Author, Aotearoa New Zealand, Lyrical, Action, Adventure, Bullies, Courage, Historical, Secret)